Keeping mice out of boats ashore

[MidlandsOnSea]

We live in a rural area, on the edge of a wood. Mice go with the territory. We managed to keep them out of the house most of the time, but we are losing the battle with outbuildings. We're about to store a wooden trailer sailor here, and I'm getting worried about damage that mice could do. Apart from obvious things like not leaving food on board, what should we do to keep them out? Has anyone ever found that mice find such places attractive?

 

[pvb]

You need a ship's cat!

 

[vyv_cox]

We have had years of problems with mice, living in an old house in the country. After trying most other remedies we bought mains powered ultrasonic(?) devices, the type that apparently sets up some sort of resonance in the mains wiring. Since then we have seen no evidence of infestation.

 

[StugeronSteve]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif With a ships mouse trap for when he's off watch.

There isn't a lot that you can do, other than clearing mouse friendly stuff out of the boat and fitting a good tight cover. We wintered our last boat on a farm and never had a problem, but it was GRP and easy to shut up.

 

[jerryat]

Yep, my boat is kept inside a barn every winter - obviously a major gathering ground for mice/rats - but we've never yet had one aboard. We could shut it up tight but don't, as we prefer to kept good ventilation going.

Key thing seems to be to ENSURE that every trace of food is removed from every surface, locker, the cooker etc etc. As the first thing we do internally once she's inside is to thoroughly clean her from stem to stern, the potential problem is eliminated.

So even with fore and heads hatches open (about 100mm) and the main hatch boards left out, the vermin seem disinterested.

Friends of ours have had a mice problem and as another poster mentioned, they too bought one of the high frequency repeller types - it worked very well.

 

[blackbeard]

We have a wood sailing dinghy in the garage when not in use, also wood mice, but so far no mice in the boat. Maybe it's difficult to climb in as the boat is on a trolley. However, taking no chances, the sails are in the house!
They are pretty little animals, and very resourceful, but I would begrudge them a nest of shredded spinnaker.

 

[seumask]

I once towed a dinghy up to London to exhibit in the very large foyer as part of an event, got the dinghy into the hotel put up the rig and then hoisted the spinaker which appeared with severallarge holes and several mice, the hotel manager was not best pleased as colin country mouse was last seen heading straight for the kitchen. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[sunquest]

I go along with Vyv Cox . We use an ultrasound type unit which works extremely well. Keeps mickey mouse home in disneyland. Cost approx.£30. Geoff

 

[Lakesailor]

I kept my Heron sails in their bag hung from a nail in the garage roof. Seemed mouse-proof for the 2 years they lived there. I reckon sails is the major worry. Rats on the other hand do like chewing wood.

 

[tedbarnes]

The first priority should be to avoid dangling ropes etc which will allow mice & rats to climb aboard.

 

[Ruffles]

We a small colony of mice living in our garage. I rarely see them but I know they are there because they leave drilled stones from the ash tree berries on the ground.

I keep sails and cushions from the boat in the garage over winter. All are suspended from the ceiling. The mice could get to them. I'm sure they are more than capable of traversing the ceiling! But so far they haven't.

The only food there is apples stored in boxes. These are stacked on top of old steel loudspeaker stands which seems to stop them getting to them. I guess if you can prop your trailer sailor up on something with a smooth surface it would stop them getting aboard. How high can they jump?

In my view if there is no source of food then you won't get a plague of them. And in the country you stand no chance of getting rid of them entirely. Wouldn't want to anyway.

 

[phatcat1]

Use plenty of spring traps (little Nipper type) and use pepperami on the traps, one piece will do 5-6 mice before it needs changing, and draws then above anything else

 

[Searush]

I live in a similar location. Beware of sea salt on items. I had a hole gnawed in a rubber dinghy for the salt that was on it.

Also squirrels took out the ratchet staps on the cover of my laser dinghy - no idea why, it has only been used on fresh water.

Even had a badger wintering under a wooden dinghy in an old stable. So it goes.